Composite metal coupling member



v Feb. 6, 1945. w; H. BARLOW '7 2,368,799

COMPOSITE METAL COUPLING MEMBER Filed Sept. 24, 1941;

5 hit" mu! i 5 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 6, 1945 COMPOSITE METAL COUPLING William H. Barlow, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Scovllle Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn a corporation of Connecticut Application September 24, 1941, Serial No. 412,064

4 Claims.

My present invention relates to couplings of the tum-button or bayonet type, certain forms of such coupling being disclosed in Patent No.

2,239,125, dated April 22, 1941.

Couplings of this type are susceptible of general application and have found considerable use for detachably fastening aircraft cowling and inspection plates which must be made readily removable. Where used in securing aircraft cowling the coupling members should be as lightweight as possible and hence they have been made of aluminum or of an aluminum or magnesium.

base alloy. When made of such metals, however,

which, because of the relative softness thereof and the considerable vibration to which they are sub- Jected in use, the wear thereon is great and the useful life thereof is materially lessened.

The present invention accordingly has for its primary object to provide a coupling of the general type set forth wherein the essential property of lightness will be preserved and the objectionable property of short life will be overcome. I'

accomplish this by making the coupling members basically of lightweight metal and making the parts thereof which are subjected to wear, of a' hard wear-resisting metal. Where a coupling member is made to consist in part of lightweight metal and in part of a hard wear-resisting metal,

I propose to make such member of composite metal by so forming and uniting against separation. the wear-resisting metal to the lightweight metal backing portion and thereby produce in a simple and economical manner a coupling memher having the desirable properties set forth.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment and wherein Figure 1 shows in elevation, with parts broken awe: a coupling member of a type to which the present invention is applicable.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of one of the parts used in making a coupling according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of a cylindrical slug or blank used in making a coupling member according to the present invention.

Fig. is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the first step in the assembly of the elements shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in the making of a coupling member according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows in side elevation an intermediate stage of the coupling member in. the course of its manufacture.

Fig. 6 shows a diametrical section of the coupling member of Fig. 5 after being ,further acted upon.

' Fig. 7 shows a perspective view, with a. portion broken away to better show a detail 01! a finished coupling member embodying the present invention. I

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters' Ill and ii indicate a pair of plates each having an opening within which is fixedly mounted in any desired manner a coupling member I! and i3, respectively, through the medium of which the plates I0 and H may be rapidly detachably connected together. In this connection it may be mentioned that the plate l0 may be a cowling for an airplane engine or the like, and the plate H a support or framework within which such engine or the like is mounted. I

The coupling members l2 and I3 constitute a turn-button or bayonet type of coupling and may be of any desired detailed construction. Such coupling members, however, usually consist of a male member and a female member having cooperating locking means and spring-tensioning means for holding the parts in assembled relation. As herein shown, the member I2 is the male coupling member and consists generally of acylindricalhousing it, the inner end of which has a central opening through which extends a stud t5, the end thereof which extends through the housing it being provided with a cross-pin I6 rigidly amxed thereto. The opposite end of the stud is formed with an enlarged head I! provided.

with means (not shown) for engagement by a tool whereby the stud may be turned about its axis. Between the enlarged head I1 and the inner end of the cylindrical housing It is 0011- spring i8 surrounding the stud I 5 and normally urging the head ll thereof outwardly with respect to the housing. The member l3 whichis the female coupling member likewise consists oi. a

substantially cylindrical housing or socket member- 89 formed adjacent its inner end with opposed cam tracks at. which terminate adjacent the highest points of the cams in detents 2|. Said socket member HQ also has at its inner end a central opening 22 and a diametrical slot 23 disposed at an angle to the line joining the detents 2i ancladapteol to permit the insertion through the socket member of the stud l5 with its crosspin it.

- A coupling of the general type hereinabove described is old intheart; and the present invention is primarily directed to coupling members cated at 3!.

detents from a hard wear-resisting metal such as steel, while the remainder or backing portion of said socket member may be made of lightweight metal such as aluminum or an aluminum or magnesium base alloy.

To make the coupling member l3 of composite metal having the desirable properties of lightness I in weight and wear-resistance at the surfaces subjected-to wear, I start with a cylindrical blank or slug 24 of aluminum or an aluminum or magnesium base alloy and position over one end thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, a shallow cylindrical,

thin cup 25 of a hard wear-resisting metal such as steel. The base of said cup is dished inwardly, as shown at 26, and is formed with a central opening 21, and the side wall of said cup is formed with one or more openings 28, for purposes which will be presently explained.

The assembly as shown in Fig. 4 is then mounted in a suitable press provided with cooperating dies of desired configuration, and force is applied to the assembly in a direction longitudinally of the axis to simultaneously deform said parts into desired shape, with their complemental surfaces contiguous to each other to provide the socket member with the cam surfaces and detents 2!. In the course of this force pressing operation the socket member is formed with an enlargement 29 adjacent the base thereof and the excess metal is forced outwardly at said base to form an annular fin 3b the under surface of backing portion which constitutes the major portion of the socket member.

From the foregoing detailed description it will therefore be recognized that I have provided a coupling member havingthe desirable properties of lightness in weight and resistance to wear due to friction and vibration, and is therefore especially adapted for use in aviation, and while I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction disclosed since these are only'given by way of example and may be varied within the range of mechanical and engineering skill without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A composite metal coupling member comprising a relatively lightweight metal backing portion and a thin crown portion of relatively hard wear-resisting metal, the crown portion being shaped with cam trackways and detents for cooperation with the locking pin of a cooperating coupling member, the backing portion contiguous to the crown portion being shaped complementally thereto, and 'said crown portion and said backing portion beinganchored against relative displacement by interenga'ging parts on the which is preferably ribbed or serrated, as indi- In the course of subjecting these parts to the force pressing operation the softer metal of the blank 24 which is made to constitute the backing portion of the coupling member is also caused to flow into and fill the openings 28 in the cup 25, as best shown in Fig. 7. This interengagement of the soft and hard metals serves to anchor the resulting backing portion of soft metal and the resulting crown portion of hard wear-resisting m'etal, against displacement. The blank of Fig. 5 is then subjected to a piercing orcuttingoperation'which provides the coupling member with the central opening 22 and the diametrical slot 23 and cuts away the annular fin 30.

In the method of forming the coupling member l9 above described, the steel cup is subjected 'to severe strains, hence I have found it desirable to initially form the cup with a dished base 26in order to provide enough metal stock in that portion thereof to withstand the severe forming operation, and I have provided the central opening 21 in the cup to allow the metal of the dished by the lightweight metal. Said cam surfaces and detents are thus able to withstand the wear and strain to which the coupling member is subjected in use. It will be further appreciated that this crown portion of steel is relatively thin and adds but little to the lightweight character of the portion to be deformed or distorted radially and v side walls of said portions.

2. A socket coupling member of generally cylindrical configuration formed at one end with opposed cam trackways terminating adjacent their outer ends in detents, said socket member having a central opening therethrough and a diametrical slot disposedat an angle to the line joining the detents, characterized in that said socket member comprises a base portion of lightweight metal and has its end which is provided with the trackways and detents crowned with a relatively hard wear-resisting metal, and cooperating interengaging parts on the base portion and crown portion for anchoring said portions against separation. 1

3- A socket coupling member of generally cylindrical configuration formed atone end with opposed cam trackways terminating adjacent their outer ends in detents, said socket member having a central opening therethrough and a diametrical slot disposed at an angle to'the line joining the detents, characterized in that said socket member comprises a base portion of lightweight metal and has its end which is provided with the trackways and detents crowned with a relatively hard wear-resisting metal, said crown having a lateral opening in its side wall and the base portion having a part extending into said lateral opening.

4. A socket coupling member of generally cylindrical configuration formed at one end .with opposed cam trackways terminating adjacent their outer ends in detents, said socket member having a central opening therethrough and a diametrical slot disposed at an angle to the line CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. 7

Patent No. 2,368,799. I February 6, 191 5,

WILLIAM H. mm.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above hum bored patent was erroneously described and specified as "Scoville Hamifacturing Company" whereas seid name should have been described and specified as --Scovi11 Manufacturing Company, of waterburf connecticut, acorporation of Connecticut as shown by the record of assigmnen'ts in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this coi'rection therein that the, same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of May, A. no 19115.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

